6 Things That Are Torpedoing Your Odds of Having a Healthy Vagina

“I don’t want to have a healthy vagina,” said no woman, ever, so it’s natural that you’d do what you can to keep things working well down there.

But experts say there are certain things women regularly do that are completely sabotaging your efforts to be healthy below the belt. That’s why we consulted top ob-gyns for their take on the top things women do that are totally messing with your vagina. Here are the unhealthy habits they recommend you take a pass on:

DouchingIt makes sense in theory that cleaning your vagina would make it healthier, but board-certified ob-gyn Pari Ghodsi, M.D., says it’s really not a good idea. “You can wipe out the good bacteria that helps keep your vagina in a healthy state,” she says. And, when that happens, you’re at an increased risk of getting a yeast infection. The same is true for deodorizing soaps—they’re not necessary and can work against you. “The vagina produces a natural cleansing fluid that is naturally supposed to be there,” says Jessica Shepherd, M.D., an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology and director of Minimally Invasive Gynecology at The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. When you wash up there, you’re removing your best protection against infection and odor, she says.

Using super-absorbent tampons when you don’t need themWhen you use tampons with a higher absorbency than you need, you’re putting yourself at risk for toxic shock syndrome (TSS) or a bacterial infection. “If you’re prone to bacterial infections, consider only buying regular (not super or overnight) tampons,” Shepherd says.

Eating a lot of crapA bad diet can significantly increase your risk of having yeast infections. Why? Increased sugar in your blood can cause an imbalance in your vaginal lining, ramping up the odds you'll get an infection, Shepherd says.

Putting sweet stuff up thereSure, smearing a little chocolate syrup or sweet lubricant in your vagina sounds like a good way to mix things up during oral, but Ghodsi says it’s a big no-no. “It will affect your pH balance and can lead to yeast or bacterial infections,” she says. Any product that upsets your internal pH and helpful bacteria can allow harmful organisms to proliferate, Shepherd says. “Normally, the area is home to a finely-tuned system of good and bad bacteria, and when it is disrupted it can cause infections and viruses,” she says.

Using tea tree oil or yogurt to treat a yeast infectionBoth are listed on naturopathic websites and forums as cures for yeast infections, but you really shouldn’t go there. Tea tree oil can damage the vaginal lining, and yogurt can just make things worse, Ghodsi says.